Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)
Odisea del norte
by Mario Bencastro
Description
Through a literary mosaic of conversations, court transcripts, newspaper clippings, and intimate letters, Bencastro's Latino immigrants—who have come from Guatemala, El Salvador, and even further south—tell their stories as they struggle to survive in the restaurant kitchens, bars, courtrooms, crowded tenements, and detention centers that become their proving grounds.
More Information
Rights Information
English-language translation available
Marketing Information
Here is the powerful, original Spanish-language version of Mario Bencastro’s latest novel, recently published in English by Arte Público Press as Odyssey to the North. Decades of civil wars in Central America, combined with the need for manpower in the United States, have made the Hispanic migrant worker a stock character in urban American life. This is the story of one such man: Calixto, who heads north “with his stomach empty but his soul full of hope.” Award-winning author Bencastro creates a sensitive, caring portrait of Calixto as he seeks not only work, but safety from political persecution in his homeland. We feel both the heartbreak and humor of Calixto’s misunderstandings as a stranger in a strange land. Through a literary mosaic of conversations, court transcripts, newspaper clippings, and intimate letters, Bencastro allows Calixto and his fellow immigrants—who have come from Guatemala, El Salvador, and even further south—to tell their own stories as they struggle to survive in the restaurant kitchens, bars, courtrooms, crowded tenements, and detention centers that become their proving grounds.
Endorsements
“Through an artful collage of the conversations between Calixto and his friends, news reports, courtroom transcripts, love letters and anecdotes, Bencastro documents the hardships Calixto suffers upon arriving in the promised land—and finding it rampantly racist. Unpretentious and reportorial, Bencastro’s tone is welcomely understated–and his message all the more powerful for it.”—Publishers Weekly
“A heartfelt story of political oppression and exile… Bencastro’s directness and understated compassion make Calixto’s disillusionment credible and quite moving.”—Kirkus Reviews
Author Biography
A native of El Salvador, Mario Bencastro is a novelist, playwright and painter.
Arte Público Press
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher Arte Público Press
- Orginal LanguageSpanish
- ISBN/Identifier 9781558852662
- Publication Country or regionUnited States
- FormatPaperback
- Primary Price 15.95 USD
- Pages208
- ReadershipGeneral
- Publish StatusPublished
- Original Language AuthorsSpanish
- Copyright Year1999
- Dimensions5.5 x 8.5 inches
Thank you for proceeding with this offer.
Arte Público Press has chosen to review this offer before it proceeds.
You will receive an email update that will bring you back to complete the process.
You can also check the status in the My Offers area
Arte Público Press has chosen to review this offer before it proceeds.
You will receive an email update that will bring you back to complete the process.
You can also check the status in the My Offers area
Please wait while the payment is being prepared.
Do not close this window.
(c) Copyright 2024 - Frankfurt Rights. All Right Reserved